Bathe Babies in Cold Water Maya Child Care

FINCA TATIN, Izabel, Guatemala- Petra screamed. “It’s alright, babies are suppose to scream in the bath,” the Maya woman who was bathing Petra reassured Chaya. Petra continued screaming. The Maya woman continued bathing. “I usually mix together hot and cold water together when I bathe her,” Chaya passively suggested to the woman who was making [...]

“It’s alright, babies are suppose to scream in the bath,” the Maya woman who was bathing Petra reassured Chaya.

Petra continued screaming. The Maya woman continued bathing.

“I usually mix together hot and cold water together when I bathe her,” Chaya passively suggested to the woman who was making quick work scrubbing down our screaming baby in the local fashion.

“Babies are suppose to be bathed in cold water, it will get rid of the heat rash,” the Maya woman spoke as she scrubbed. “I have five daughters and they always go right to sleep after they are bathed.”

Apparently, the Maya in this region of Guatemala bath their babies in cold water, in deaf opposition to their protests. Apparently, Maya babies scream just like Petra was doing as the busty woman in a hand woven blouse and skirt poured another bowel of un-heated water over her head.

Babies always scream in the bath.

Chaya stood back and held he motherly instincts to coddle her screaming child at bay — the Maya woman has five daughters, she must know what she is doing.

The bath was soon over, and Petra was placed into a clean towel and returned to her mother. She did not go right to sleep — she looked traumatized as she dug for Chaya’s breast — and we chuckled about the ordeal and determined that the ways of Maya bathing were probably not for our baby, who has already become pampered with warm baths.

Though a few hours later her heat rash did seemed to look better, Petra’s skin also felt a little more taunt and dry rather than soft and soggy.

The next day the bath was repeated. Petra screamed all over again.

But afterwards she went right to sleep. Later in the day the heat rash dissipated from her skin — Petra look alert, her skin was smooth and white again, the cold bath proved effective.

Wade Shepard is the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. He has been traveling the world since 1999, through 88 countries. He is the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China, and contributes to The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. Wade Shepard has written 3426 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

In Morocco, traditional mothers will bathe their child’s feet in cold water, in order to get them to sleep more quickly. I am not sure of the science behind it, but it seems to be a solution for kids in hot countries. Hope it keeps helping Petra’s skin.

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About Wade Shepard

I’m an itinerant writer who has been traveling the world since 1999, through 88 countries. I wrote Ghost Cities of China, a book which chronicles the two years that I spent in China’s new cities, and have another book about the New Silk Road coming out soon. I’m a regular contributor to Forbes, The Diplomat, and the South China Morning Post, and I have been featured on BBC World, VICE, NPR Morning Edition, CNBC Squawk Box, CBC The Current … This is my personal blog where I share stories from the road that don’t fit in anywhere else. In other words, this is my daily diary, raw and real — it is not edited or even proofread. Subscribe below.